'95 GA, help with problems

[PhilL]

Just bought a cute GA for my daughter. Is in ok shape, engine seemed fine when I test drove. The day after we bought it, a few problems arose.

1. She got stranded about 30 miles from home, engine turned over, no cranking. I got there, hit it with a little starter fluid, it tried, so air and spark are good. Put gas in the tank (just in case) and change fuel filter, nothing any better. I had her try to crank turn it over with the fuel fintler discharge line disconnected and got no fuel out (yes I know not the safest thing to do). Towed it home. Next morning cleaned all the fuse contacts (panel on driver side of dash board) and it cranked. Has been too windy outside to listen for the fuel pump to come on. This problem is the number one as I hate the thought of her being stranded again at night. Problem solved I believe.

2. When I rev the engine in park, the engine surges at higher RPM's. Is there an RPM govenor on this little 4 cylinder (says quad 4 DOHC, hopefully that equates to a 2.3L?) It seems to loose power sometimes (haven't tuned it up yet).

3. Oil light comes on and dims out. There is a post here about a cracked computer board that may be the cause of that so I believe that one is solved, but how difficult is this little board to change?

I would appreciate any help on this stuff as after paying cash for the vehicle, most repairs will be done by me. I have a Haynes book on it. I don't have an owners manual so am not sure if I am missing a fuse panel or not and what some of the abreviations would be in the panel. Haynes does not give this as it covers so many models.

Thank you ahead of time for keeping my little girl safe.

Phil

[Matt95GT]

1. Sounds like you have it just about narrowed down to the fuel pump or it's wiring. There is a fuel pump prime/test connector located near just in front of the windshield cowl, on the drivers side. Here, you can see it coming out of the wire loom:
http://www.fazeshift.org/pics/albums/userpics/10001/Dcp00522.jpg

This diagram may be useful as well...
http://www.fazeshift.org/pics/albums/userpics/GA_shop_manual/engine%20diagram.jpg

Jumping this line should make the fuel pump run. Note that it bypasses the fuel pump relay, which is in the bank of relays on the passenger side near cowl. I would test the fuel pump relay next and determine if the problem is the relay or wiring before it, or the wiring between relay and pump (or pump itself).


2. If you rev an automatic Quad 4 in park or neutral, the PCM rev-limits it to about 4000 RPMs. When in gear, the limit is 6500 RPM, although the automatics may shift to the next gear before that. (All Quad 4's 95 and older are 2.3L)


3. Which gauge cluster does it have? Standard (no tach) or optional (has tach)? Depending on which you have, there may be more than one oil related light. The yellow "check oil" light is typically the problem, which deals with oil level (not pressure). Apparently some gauge clusters had cold solder joints causing this problem, although from what I've seen, this appears to occur more on the older 92-93 clusters. (If this is the case, cluster replacement is the easiest fix). The other (even more) common problem causing this light - the level switch in the button of the oil pan "sticks" causing the light to come on when the oil level is normal. Since you said it dims out, I suspect the bad cluster is the problem, since the logic circuit in the cluster keeps that light on until the car is restarted.

Both Quad 4 GA's I've owned had the oil light problem... ignoring the light has become my solution. (Check the actual oil level is better than trusting the idiot light anyway)

Fuse panel... here:
http://www.fazeshift.org/pics/albums/userpics/GA_shop_manual/fuses.jpg
http://www.fazeshift.org/pics/albums/userpics/GA_shop_manual/fuse%20legend.jpg